Sandie Peggie trans 'debacle' must be 'wake up call for brainwashed public sector' says ex-minister
A former justice secretary is warning the Sandie Peggie trans 'debacle' over changing rooms must be a 'wake-up call' for Scotland's 'brainwashed' public sector.
Kenny MacAskill said the landmark discrimination case should be a 'catalyst for change', insisting public services had a 'duty' to accept the Supreme Court's ruling on biology.
He claimed many organisations appeared to be seeking to 'delay or thwart the ruling ' that allows men identifying as female to be banned from women's single sex spaces.
MacAskill is also calling for a clear-out of public sector boards claiming chairs and members failed to challenge chief executives and senior management as 'harmful' trans ideology became embedded across Scotland.
He said: 'The Supreme Court was clear and unequivocal in their judgment.
"The excuses and failures of government and their agencies to respond is simply unacceptable.
"The clearest example remains in the absurdity of men self-identifying as women and being classified as women for crimes that women simply cannot perpetrate and resulting in men being placed in the female prison estate.'
According to MacAskill, public boards 'were craven in their acceptance of the ideology' as services were 'brainwashed by trans ideology' after bringing in controversial lobbyists such as Stonewall and LGBT Youth Scotland to push their agenda.
MacAskill, justice secretary between 2007 and 2014, claimed the ongoing tribunal showed not just the need to roll back 'trans ideology zealots' but to 'expand the catchment for such board memberships'.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
He said: 'The current grouping has failed when they have a duty to challenge as well as to support.
"It's time that these individuals went and those we appoint in their place possess common sense and know what a woman is.'
Sandie Peggie is taking NHS Fife and trans medic Dr Beth Upton – formerly Theodore– to a tribunal after being suspended following an incident on Christmas Eve 2023 in female changing rooms.
The nurse worked at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy for 30 years before being suspended and asked to work elsewhere after objecting to the presence of a biological male in a female changing facility.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in April that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law meaning trans women – men identifying as female – can be excluded from single sex spaces.
A Scottish government spokesperson said: 'The Scottish government has made it clear that it accepts the Supreme Court ruling and since April has been taking forward the detailed work necessary as a consequence of the ruling.
'In addition Police Scotland has published interim guidance on searching of trans-gender people.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
43 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ken Paxton asks court to arrest Beto O'Rourke for Texas redistricting
"He's about to find out that running your mouth and ignoring the rule of law has consequences in Texas," Paxton said in a statement released alongside the filing. "It's time to lock him up." Paxton's move is the latest in growing escalations between Democrats and Republicans in the Lone Star state, as the standoff over GOP attempts to redraw congressional boundaries in Texas. The redistricting attempt could add another five Republican seats to Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, and is seen as blatant gerrymandering efforts by Democrats. In response, Democrats decamped the state en masse, many taking refuge in blue-led states like Illinois and New York, to prevent the vote from taking place in Austin, Texas, where the Republicans' firm majority would all but guarantee the revised maps pass. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the arrest of the dozens of Democratic lawmakers who have fled while Paxton asked the state Supreme Court to oust them from office over their absence, arguing they abandoned their seats. Texas redistricting: Which states have threatened to redraw their own maps in response to Texas GOP plans? In the first sentence of the court filing, Paxton quoted the former congressman at an Aug. 9 Fort Worth event saying: "There are no refs in this game, f--- the rules," claiming O'Rourke was "disparaging" the previous court order. In response, O'Rourke posted the full clip of his speech at the event to X, saying that Paxton took his words out of context in the filing. In the full recorded video of the speech, O'Rourke is speaking about the Democrats' attempts to put forward their own revised maps in states like California, New Jersey, Maryland, and Illinois, telling the crowd that blue states should redistrict now and "not wait for Texas to move first." "You may say to yourself, 'Well, those aren't the rules,'" O'Rourke says immediately after speaking about the Democrats' redistricting efforts. "There are no refs in this game, f--- the rules, we are going to win. Whatever it takes, we are going to take this to them in every way that we can." O'Rourke said in his post on X on Aug. 12 that the attorney general's office lied in its filing. "We're seeking maximum sanctions in response to his abuse of office," he said. "Taking the fight directly to this corrupt, lying thug." Along with jail time, the attorney general is also requesting O'Rourke be held in contempt and fined $500. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
The Herald Scotland
43 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Does DC have a crime problem? Trump is right
And I'm inclined to agree with Trump's broader points about crime and safety in Washington. Trump is right on one thing: America deserves a safe capital. Although it's improving in terms of its crime problem, it is still far from being a safe city. While crime in the district is falling from its post-pandemic peak, and violent crime is even at a 30-year low, the violent crime rate in Washington remains relatively high compared with other states, and the homicide rate is atypically high. Tell us: In the wake of Trump's federal DC takeover, are you worried about crime? | Opinion Forum Americans deserve a safe capital city. DC could be safer. Part of the problem is that many crimes are less often prosecuted in Washington. Even crimes involving weapons are charged at a rate substantially below those of other major cities. Similarly, the district has become less likely to prosecute minors and young adults, according to the Manhattan Institute, a right-wing think tank. Still, Trump is definitely exaggerating the crime problem to give a pretext for his latest actions, and he will likely end up taking credit for declining crime rates that have already begun to take effect. But that doesn't mean his idea of a crime-free Washington is wrong. I don't think the Trump administration is all that much more capable of running the nation's capital than the city leadership is, but I don't find it offensive that White House officials would try their hand at it. Opinion: Supreme Court could end race-based voting districts. Good. They're antiquated. Nor is Washington just another city. It does mean something to be the nation's capital, and representatives of foreign nations who visit are not seeing America's best when they come there. The home of our federal government has no business being among the most dangerous cities in the nation. Trump's push is more about optics than safety While Trump's message is right, his push to ramp up federal law enforcement in Washington is more about optics than meaningfully reducing crime. Having uniformed Drug Enforcement Administration agents patrolling the National Mall and flooding the streets with 800 National Guard personnel sounds great in theory, but Washington's violent crime is concentrated in areas away from the Mall. It's all for show. Trump can also only take control of the local police force for up to 30 days before needing congressional approval. What he can actually accomplish over the course of a month remains to be seen, but I am skeptical of his ability to enact any lasting change in the coming weeks. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Temporary supplements from federal law enforcement and the National Guard could even help in the short term, but the problem of more than 800 police officer positions needing to be filled will remain even after those 30 days are up. And what about filling the 15 vacancies on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, which handles the city's criminal cases? In the end, Trump's increased control over Washington is likely to blow over as a typical optics play, with little show in terms of results. He's overstating the problem of crimes and trying to take credit for declines that have already been happening without his intervention. It's just more smoke and mirrors. Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.
Reuters
10 hours ago
- Reuters
Tariff revenue makes it hard for Supreme Court to rule against Trump, Bessent says
WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Increasing revenues flowing into U.S. government coffers from tariffs would make it difficult for the Supreme Court to rule against the Trump administration on the issue if a lower court case makes its way to country's top court, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday. "The more money coming in, it gets harder and harder for SCOTUS to rule against us," Bessent said in an interview on Fox Business Network's "Kudlow." Bessent was responding to a question about a case currently in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., which challenges the legality of what Trump calls "reciprocal" tariffs as well as a separate set of tariffs imposed in February against China, Canada and Mexico.
